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User blog:TheJollyScot/Endless Ocean Custom Map ideas 1.
Endless Ocean map ideas. Hello everyone. It sadly seems that Endless Ocean is a bit of a dead franchise, despite having a tonne of potential and strong fan following. I thought it would be interesting therefore to discuss what kinds of maps we as fans would include if they had the chance to create their own game or an add on to one of the existing ones if it was possible. Feel free to post your ideas in the comments For my list I’d mainly focus on adding to freshwater maps, some more varied coral reefs and depths environments and also changing a bit on the Mediterranean Ciceros strait. I love the Ciceros Straits but many species of fish there aren’t native and I think its a shame to neglect many of the interesting native populations. Without further ado here is part 1 of my suggestions. 1. Nile River To expand the freshwater roster lets start off with the Nile, the longest river in the world and with a long association with many cradles of civilization in north-east Africa, most famously with Ancient Egypt but also with Axum in Ethiopia and Nubia in Sudan. This map could stretch between two cataracts, or large waterfalls and stretch from the south of Egypt to the edge of the Nubian forests or possibly a large lake similar to Lake Victoria. Since the second Endless Ocean game had a lot of focus the Ancient Egyptian inspired Oceanious culture, I think the Nile would be a great addition and could include a lot more Egyptian artefacts. As for the animals along the Nile, there is already, though I’ll also include some other African freshwater species, including Lake Victoria fish to add some greater depth. Starting on land, when we go ashore we can see: 1. Common Hippopotamus (Hippopotamus amphibius). A very different creature from what we’ve seen in Endless Ocean so far, but one that would make the Nile really stand out. This hoofed mammal is infamously one of the most dangerous animals in all of Africa, due to its bad temper and great strength. However the hippo has become mostly extinct in Egypt, but is still common in the southern parts of the Nile and may have an isolated population in game similar to the Manatees in Gatama atoll, such is the magic of Endless ocean. 2. Nile Crocodile (Crocodylus niloticus). The largest freshwater predator in Africa, the Nile crocodile would be an excellent hazard to encounter along the Nile, similar to the spectacled caiman in Cortica. The Nile crocodile could be more aggressive than the caiman, attacking players in a similar fashion to the sharks in the ocean. 3. Egyptian Goose (Alopochen aegyptiaca), a waterfowl with colourful, iconic plumage that features on Ancient Egyptian artwork. Would also be different to see different birds in this game away from the seabirds found in other areas. 4. Lesser Egret (Egretta garzetta). Another lovely bird with brilliant white plumage and a graceful build. 5. African Sacred Ibis (Threskiornis aethiopicus). This black and white plumaged bird also deserves a place on this list. Due to its curved beak, the Ancient Egyptians linked it with their moon god Thoth, who is shown with the head of an ibis. While only a small bird it is still an interesting and beautiful creature. While no longer found in Egypt, it can still be found on the banks of the Nile in Sudan. 6. Shoebill (Balaeniceps rex). An iconic animal, this stork has a unique and expressive face, a large shoe shaped beak and makes an odd clapping noise with its beak when excited. This would make a very memorable trip ashore. While it cannot be found in Egypt, it can be found in the Nile’s southern regions. Meanwhile in the water, a variety of fish and a few other reptiles. 1. The African Softshell Turtle (Trionyx triunguis), a candidate for a smaller species of turtle and with a really cute pointed nose. Interestingly this species of turtle isn’t found solely in Africa and can also be found in the Middle East and Turkey too. 2. The African Jewelfish, or Jewel cichlid (Hemichromis bimaculatus). This is my pick for a larger cichlid in this Nile map. A beautiful fish with a bronzy body and bright blue markings, this would make a delightful sight. 3. Egyptian Mouthbrooder (Pseudocrenilabrus multicolor) a dainty little cichlid, this will be perfect for zoom in spots scattered across the map. This fish could demonstrate the fascinating mouthbrooding displayed in cichlids, where the young fry will hide in the parent’s mouth to avoid predators 4. Upside Down catfish (Synodontis batensoda), another zoom in fish with a unique quirky behaviour. This catfish, as the name suggests, it swims upside down under rocks and sunken logs, possibly to avoid predators or to feed on algae growing in these locations. They also squeak when touched. 5. Nile Perch (Lates niloticus). ''One of the highlights of the Nile is this massive fish. A magnificent sight to behold, yet also an invasive one. This fish can teach us so much about the fragility of the ecosystems on Earth. 6. Cichlids of the genus ''Haplochromis. ''Many species in this genus of fish comes from Lake Victoria, the source of the Nile. This genus has suffered due to Nile Perch being introduced into Lake Victoria and although the perch have been removed, the cichlid population still has a long way to go until they are fully recovered. There are so many colourful species which can make great zoom in animals, so I’ll just leave it as the genus for now. 7. Victoria Tilapia (''Oreochromis variabilis). Another victim of the Nile Perch, this important food fish is currently being aquacultured to lessen the pressure of wild populations. This would make an excellent shoaling fish. Maybe these Lake Victorian fish could be in their own area away from the other Nile fish, similarly to the temple in Cortica. 8. African Tigerfish (Hydrocynus vittatus). This fast moving shoaling fish is a brilliantly coloured predator, with a silver body with dark grey stripes and a yellow and red tail. They live mainly close to the bottom of the river and strike at prey from below. 9. African Knifefish (Xenomystus nigri) Another bottom dwelling fish, this time a polar opposite of the Tigerfish. This Knifefish is slow and nocturnal, preferring to keep near the shelter of plants, rocks or sunken logs. 10. Marbled Lungfish (Protopterus aethiopicus). An ancient fish, the lungfish have been around since the Early Devonian period about 420 million years ago and have changed little since then. They have retained many primitive features, such as the ability to breathe air from the surface and lobed fins that look more like limbs, similarly to the coelacanth. Lungfish can now only be found in South America, Africa and Australia and all can cocoon themselves to survive droughts. The Marbled Lungfish is found throughout the Nile and is one of the most attractive due to its dark speckles across a yellowish body. 11. Mudfish (Clarias anguillaris). A large brown catfish that measures up to 1 meter long, this catfish hasn’t had a lot of study or coverage online. Like the lungfish it also breathes air from the surface. Overall the Nile presents an interesting variety of aquatic animals, with plenty of room for extra fish from across Africa like bichirs or Congo tetras. Part 2. Caribbean Map Its a shame that the Atlantic has gone unnoticed in Endless Oceans. The tropical reefs around the eastern coast of Africa and the western coasts of the Americas harbour a rich variety of life and important ecological sites. There are many fish genus that are familiar to reefs in the Pacific and Indian oceans, such as angelfish, gobies, blennies, damsels, etc. yet differs in many ways, such as the lack of clownfish and tang variation is relatively limited. This map I suggest takes place in a fictional area in the Caribbean where fish from north and south the Atlantic coast will congregate, including some from the west coast of Africa. 1. Starting off with the Atlantic Blue Tang (Acanthurus coeruleus). This is is one of the few tangs native to the Atlantic and an excellent shoaling species that will add flashes of blue to the area, while its yellow juveniles can make an excellent zoom in highlight. While not the flashiest or most ornately patterned tang, the blue shines in the right light and the fish is adorned with soft wavy lines. They also have a quirky habit of setting up cleaning stations to eat algae from turtles. 2. The Royal Gramma (Gramma loreto) is one of the most famous fish from the Atlantic and a common aquarium inhabitant. A bright purple head and upper body and equally brilliant yellow rear end, this fish darts around rocky outcrops and never fails to amaze anyone who sees it. A must have for zoom in spots. The Blackcap Basslet (Gramma melacara) is just as popular as the Royal Gramma. This fish is a beautiful purple with black line across the top of its body. A bright and cheery fish and one for deeper areas of reefs. 3. Banded Butterflyfish (Chaetodon striatus). A very underrated fish in my opinion, probably because its not as bright and boldly coloured as other butterflyfish, yet its black and brown stripes on a silvery body make it a monochrome beauty. 4. The Foureye Butterflyfish (Chaetodon capistratus) is a very beautiful and delicate fish, both in terms of colour and durability in aquariums. Although alluring, I’d recommend not buying it if you’re new to the practice, their shyness and picky diets can make them difficult to keep, especially if something traumatic has happened when it was shipped. Though with the fantasy of Endless Ocean, we can keep any type of animal in aquariums and this fish could settle right in. I admit I was torn between either this butterflyfish or the Spotfin Butterfly (Chaetodon ocellatus), which in general is more hardy. I think this spot could go to either or maybe even both. Take your pick. 5. Neon Gobies (Elacatinus oceanops) have long since been favourites for aquariums due to their bright personalities and cleaning behaviour. A brilliant blue and black body makes for an interesting flash of colour. There are hundreds of similar goby species in the Caribbean, but this one by far is the most famous. 6. Queen Angelfish (Holacanthus ciliaris), a brilliantly coloured fish with a beautiful gold body accentuated with blue edging. This fish is equal in fame to the Emperor Angelfish and is just as feisty. Another shoutout here is The Rock Beauty (Holacanthus tricolor), another lovely fish yet far more gentle and delicate. It has a striking yet brilliant pattern, a mostly black body with a yellow front end and orange fins. Both or either one of these angelfish would be welcomed. 7. French Angelfish (Pomacanthus paru). Another famous angelfish, the French Angelfish is a more mellow and easy going angel compared to the Queen Angelfish. The French Angel is no less beautiful, in both its juvenile and adult stages. Both are a stately black, with the juvenile possessing five yellow stripes across its body, while the adult is covered in yellow speckles and a pale blue face. Juveniles set up cleaning stations, similar to the blue tangs and pick detritus and parasites from large animals. Adults meanwhile pair off and swim near to outcrops of corals. A similar angelfish, the Grey Angelfish (Pomacanthus arcuatus) which essentially has the same body shape as the French, but is even larger, one of the largest marine fish in fact. The young looks similar to the juvenile French, black with yellow stripes, but when adult it is mostly grey with subtle hints of blue and red in the fins. 8. This spot is for three Centropyge or dwarf angelfish that could feature. They are the Cherubfish (Centropyge argi), the African Pygmy Angelfish (Centropyge acanthops) and the Resplendent Angelfish (Centropyge resplendens). I am cheating with the latter two, the African Pygmy Angelfish is found along, as the name suggests, the eastern coast of Africa and the Resplendent is found only around the Ascension Island. The Resplendent is rarely if ever seen in the aquarium trade, while the other two are pretty common and small peppy little fish that can be the highlight of a coral community, if their tank is large enough and there’s enough hiding spots. Personally I’d be fine with any one of these choices. 9. The Blue Chromis (Chromis cyanea) is a glittering shoaling damselfish that is second only to the Green chromis currently in the game. This blue fish is sadly in danger due to the accidental introduction of lionfish to the area, which aren’t naturally native to the Atlantic and have thrived without any predators. This could be addressed in the additional information panel for this fish. Lets hope we can get the lionfish population under control soon. 10. Another damsel, but not a peaceful chromis this time, the Orange Damselfish (Stegastes planifrons) of the Caribbean is not really orange. As a juvenile it is bright yellow with two black spots on the anterior of its body and a third in the centre of its tail. In contrast, the adults are large, aggressive and dully coloured. I think this is another damsel where only juveniles could feature. 11. The Cuban Hogfish (Bodianus pulchellus) is a rather underrated fish in my opinion. It used to feature heavily in aquarium books from the 90s and early 2000s and yet now its very rarely talked about. A real shame since it would make a lovely flash of red, white and yellow in a coral reef, especially since red fish are rather rare. 12. Chalk Bass (Serranus tortugarum). Another mostly blue fish with flashes of pink and purple, the chalk bass is a lovely and underrated fish in aquariums, usually dismissed for beginners only. A peaceful fish, it can be found in small groups near the sea floor and feeds mainly on small invertebrates. 13. And now for a common aquarium favourite, the Yellowhead Jawfish (Opistognathus aurifrons). So far there is currently only one jawfish in game and in only one location in Gatama Atoll. It also is a tad dull animation wise, with the standard blenny or shrimp goby. With this jawfish, a new animation style could be introduced with small colonies of these fish moving in and out of their burrows to crate an interesting and fun experience. 14. Nearly every map has a dolphin and for this one I’d suggest the Atlantic Spotted Dolphin (Stenella frontalis). This dolphin has a unique speckled pattern across its body and is just as friendly as the larger and more famous Bottlenose. 15. For whale variety, I’d recommend the Sei Whale (Balaenoptera borealis), which is found across the globe. Unlike many other whales which have recovered since whaling bans, the Sei has been slower to regrow. Therefore I think it would be essential to present this species to players and raise awareness. 16. For a larger fish, the Bonefish (Albula vulpes) fills out a similar role to the current Tarpon, which can also be introduced to the map here. While usually overlooked, this fish has a rather cute face. The most fascinating aspect about this fish and the tarpon is that they are more closely related to eels than other families of fish. 17. A pair of personal favourites of mine; the Jack-Knife Fish (Equetus lanceolatu''s) and the Streaked Ribbon fish (''Pareques acuminatus) are often overlooked. These slow moving gentle fish swim close to the sea floor in search of tasty invertebrates. While not the most colourful, they have very interesting patterns and shapes. 18. There have been no filefish present in any of the games. So to introduce a new group of fish, lets meet the American Whitespotted Filefish (Cantherhines macroceru). ''While not as colourful as some other tropical fish, the white spots on brown makes for a rather charmingly coloured fish. Filefish are relatives of the triggerfish, but are completely the opposite. Instead of being voracious shellfish eaters, they instead peck gently at coral, algae and small invertebrates. 19. Not one to be left out, the Caribbean has a number of colourful wrasse, one of which I struggled on adding was the Creole wrasse (''Clepticus parrae). I was worried at first the list may have gotten overstuffed but now I wish I had this in originally. The Creole Wrasse is a lovely violet fish with a black marking on its snout, black fins and a bright yellow splodge on the lower aft body. It belongs to the plankton eating Clepticus genus, which are essential the Atlantic version of fairy wrasse which are found in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. 20. The Green Banded Goby (Elacatinus multifasciatus) is one of my favourite aquarium fish. This peaceful little goby is pale yellow with green stripes on its body, a pair of brown stripes on its face and a red ‘earspot’. This is a lovely fish and I hope one day to see it up close and personal one day. 21. Two basslets I originally missed out are the Swissguard Basslet (Liopropoma rubre) and the Candy Basslet (Liopropoma carmabi). These small stripy fish are very beautiful and excellent for aquariums, adapting well and being generally peaceful, though it will prey on small shrimps. The Swissguard Basslet is a peach fish with red peppermint stripes, while the Candy Basslet is a bright orange or yellow with flashing purple or blue stripes, depending on how the light reflects from them. Both fish also have black spots on their fins and tails. 22. Another interesting family are the Hypoplectrus, often called Hamlets. These are dwarf sea bass, similar to the basslets and as such are far more easier to keep in aquariums than other basses, though they may eat tiny fish and invertebrates. All Hamlets are found in the tropical Atlantic. Three Hamlets which I’d recommend consideration are the Indigo Hamlet (Hypoplectrus indigo), the Butter Hamlet (Hypoplectrus unicolor) and the Shy Hamlet (Hypoplectrus guttavarius). 23. A large sea slug, the Lettuce Sea Slug (Elysia crispata) comes from the Elysia genus of sea slugs. These sea slugs are are herbivorous instead of carnivorous like most other sea slugs.They gain nutrients via a process called kleptoplasty; as the sea slug eats plants, the chlorophyll from those plants are retained in its body and used to generate food from sunlight, much in the same way as plants and coral. These sea slugs come in a rainbow of colous, ranging from white and greens to bright blues. 24. Another interesting addition, the Flame Scallop (Lima scabra) is a new type of animal all together, as there are no other scallops in the game so far. These molluscs are usually rather inconspicuous when closed, but when open they reveal a magnificent fiery red interior. They feed on phytoplankton taken by their tentacles as they shift through the sand. When disturbed they swim rapidly away by clapping their valves together. Common predators include crabs and large shrimps. 25. Time for a sea star. The Cushion Sea star (Oreaster reticulatus) is a very large species which reaches half a meter in length. This has a hardened surface with blunt spines and spikes. The adults are usually red, orange, yellow or brown, while juveniles are green. Like most sea stars they usually have five arms, though some have four, six or seven. Changes to existing maps: Ciceros Strait. I have a few species which I’d add into this map to give it a more authentic Mediterranean feel. The displaced species such as Threadfin Butterflyfish can however find a place in another tropical map. There will be no new dolphins and whales since I think what they have currently is fine and its mostly small and large fish that will be focused on. Also don’t take this as an attack on the developers, they did a fine job. This is just how I’d do things. 1. The first newcommer is Zvonimir’s Blenny (Parablennius zvonimiri), a beautiful bright orange fish which would work well as a rocky outcrop inhabitant. It would bolster the native Peacock blenny. Another species of blenny which could also be considered is the Adriatic Blenny (Microlipophrys adriaticus) which is just as colourful. 2. The African Angelfish (Holacanthus africanus) will add some more exotic variety. This fish is common along Africa’s west coast, but has on occasion been seen deeper in the Mediterranean. Unlike the more commonly studied angelfish of the Caribbean and Indo-Pacific, this fish is rarely kept in aquariums. As a juvenile it is a brilliant blue with a yellow tail and mouth. However when fully grown, the body becomes a more muted brownish yellow, which is still rather pretty in its own right. 3. Pompano (Trachinotus ovatus), would be an excellent medium sized shoaling fish for this map, as would the Saddled seabream (Oblada melanura), the European pilchard (Sardina pilchardus) and several species of mullet. 4. The Mediterranean Chromis (Chromis chromis) is the native damselfish in this region. Its mostly brown all over from a distance, but up close you can see shades of red and other colours when in the light. Honestly this one isn’t a must and if the Blue-Green chromis was retained I wouldn’t complain. But it is nice to mention it at least. 5. Gobies. There are a lot of gobies to choose from in the area, with varying colours and patterns. A few species I’d recommend are Lesueur’s Goby, Golden Goby, Red-mouthed Goby, Painted Goby, Striped Goby and the Giant Goby. 6. Marbled Electric Ray (Torpedo marmorata). A potential hazard animal for Valka Castle or some other interior locations added to the Ciceros Strait. Like the lionfish it is not actively dangerous to humans but can give anyone who touches them a shock. This species of electric ray also has a great speckled pattern. 7. Wrasses. Like with the gobies, there are many wrasse species that are just as colourful, or in some cases even more so than their tropical counterparts as can be seen with the current Ornate Wrasse. Other wrasse which could be included are the Mediterranean Rainbow Wrasse, Cuckoo Wrasse, Five Spotted Wrasse, Axillary Wrasse, Goldsinny Wrasse, Ocellated Wrasse, Grey Wrasse and Pointed-snout Wrasse. 8. Spotted Pipefish (Nerophis maculatus). A bright orange pipefish that could compliment the seahorses found in the Northwest of the map. 9. For sharks I have a few suggestions; The endangered Smoothback and Sawback Angelsharks to raise awareness, Copper Shark and School Sharks. Sadly none of them will have the wow factor of the Great Whites or Hammerheads, but they could add another dimension to the map. 10. The Cobia (Rachycentron canadum), a lovely stripy shoaling fish, for added movement and colour. 11. The Mediterranean or Roman Moray (Muraena helena). A large and spectacular eel with a lovely mottled colour pattern. It is also quite a dangerous animal with a nasty bite. I am sorry this went on for too long and was probably a headache to read through, but I hope it at least sparked some ideas. Though I think I ramble too much on the Mediterranean and am a bit of a stickler for accuracy. But what do you think? I’ll probably make another one of these sorts of posts discussing this time fictional maps for the coastlines around Japan and Hawaii. And possibly any others I can muster up. Category:Blog posts